Document strong box

ABSTRACT

A STRONG BOX FOR DOCUMENTS TO BE MOUNTED WITHIN A DESK DRAWER OR AT A WALL AND ADAPTED TO HOUSE DOCUMENTS OF STANDARDIZED DIMENSIONS.

United States Patent Inventor Heinz Gerd l-leinrichs 4 Dusseldorf,Binnenwasser, Germany App]. No. 858,036

Filed Sept. 15, 1969 Patented June 28, 1971 DOCUMENT STRONG BOX 3Claims, 6 Drawing Figs. I

U.S. Cl 109/51,

Int. Cl E05g 1/04 Field 01 Search .1 109/50, 51,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 237,757 2/1881 Kyser 109/641,805,759 5/1931 Chamberlain 109/52 2,465,057 3/1949 Brandes 109/513,078,900 2/1963 Walker 151/4173 3,348,892 10/1967 Grassi 312/208FOREIGN PATENTS 346.900 4/1931 Great Britain 312/208 PrimaryExaminer-Reinaldo P. Machado Auorneywilliamson, Palmatier &. BainsABSTRACT: A strong box for documents to be mounted within a desk draweror at a wall and adapted to house documents of standardized dimensions.

PATENTED Junzs [9n SHEET 2 BF 3 1 DOCUMENT STRONG BOX BRIEF DESCRIPTIONOF INVENTION The invention relates to a strong box made of rigidmaterial, as steel, and being provided to house documents or the like-These documents normally have a standardized size, say quart form inAnglosaxonian countries, or DIN form in European countries. There is aneed to have a strong box for retaining those documents, the size of thebox-on the one hand-being so dimensioned that such documents may easilybe stored therein without bending or folding, and-on the 1 otherhand-being small enough to preserve it in furniture drawers of limitedsize, say the drawer of a desk. It is desirable that the box, itselfbeing simply designed, may be easily mounted within a desk or the like,or on a wall to prevent its being put away.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a light weight butstable, rigid strong box for documents, the box findingenough space in anormal desk drawer and enabling storageof standardized documents.

According to the invention, the box comprises a substantiallyflat bottomportiommade of hard steel and a cover portion'consisting of a top walland of sidewalls, the cover portion being as well made of hard steel.The area defined by the sidewall edges is dimensioned so that they mayslidingly engage over the bottom portion, the latter thus beingaccessible only from the surface on which the box rests. The bottom andcover portion are dimensioned so that the cavity defined by them has abase area correspondingto dimensions of standardized documents, themaximum height of the box, about equal to the height of the sidewalls ofthe cover portion, is chosen so that it does not exceed about half thelength of the smaller side edge of the bottom portion. Mounting meansare provided for mounting the bottom portion to a wall, or within a deskdrawer. The mounting means are designed so that they cannot be releasedexcept from the box interiorwhen opened;

Of course, a lock is provided to prevent unperrnitted'opening.Preferably, a puzzle lock is provided in the cover portion, and thelatter is recessed or tapered so that the operation knob of the puzzlelock does not extend beyond the overall height of the box. It ispreferred that the box cover portion is hinged to the bottom portion,the hinge as well being provided within the box interior and beinginaccessible from the outside:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS means for the strong box shown in FIG. 2to fasten it atth'ewall at line IV-IV of FIG. 2.

FIG. is a perspective elevation view of part of the mounting means shownin FIG. 4.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring to FIG. I the strong boxmay be mountedcon veniently in the drawer of a desk or writing table.The strong.

box is generally designated with the numeral 1 and comprises a coverportion 2 and a bottom portion 3. A puzzle or combination lock 4 isprovided in the cover portion 2'for safely locking the strong box.Sidewalls 5 of the cover portions;-

complete the strong box which, as shown, is mounted tothe bottom of thedrawer 6 of the desk 7.

FIG. 2 shows in perspective elevation the strong box according to theinvention when opened so all constructional details may be seen. In thedrawing the strong box I is shown as mounted on a wall II. Cover portion-2 is hinged to bottom portion 3 by means of a hingel2 at one of'itssidewalls, while at the other side of the cover portion a combinationlock 4 is provided engaging'with its bolt 13, a bar 14 at the bottomportion so that thestrong box may be sealed.

In order to avoid documents retained in the strong box from falling off,rotatable clamping springs 15 are provided at the bottom portion 3, saidclamping springs 15 clamping documents 17 by means of a holding plate16. If the strong .box is mounted in the manner shown, so that the coverportion 2 maybe opened by turning it about the hinge 12 upwardly, it ispreferred to provide a support means or brace 18 automaticallymaintaining cover portion 2 in its opened position so that both hands ofthe user are free to handle the documents.

FIG. 3a shows first mounting means for the strong box in a bottom board6 of a desk drawer. The thickness of the board 6, of course, may bearbitrarily big so that the strong box may easily be mounted at any kindof furniture; The strong box is.

here and in the following example mounted in such a manner thatunscrewing of the screws used for the mounting is not possible from theoutside. In the mounting the strong box bottom portion 3 is providedwith bores 21 receiving screws 22 for engagement offlanged nuts 23, thelatter being inserted into the bottom-face of 'board 6 and tightlyforced into the wood of the board 6-bymeans of the screwing force.Protrud ing vanes 25 of the nuts prevent them from being turned from thefree face of the board.

The example of mounting as described hereinabove requires a certain typeof flanged nuts 23. Mounting in accordance with FIG. 3b permits use offiathead-screws provided with a portion of rectangular cross sectionbetween head and shaft of this screw; this type of screw is commonlyused and designatedas a stove bolt. A bar 29 is provided, havingopenings 30 of a cross section which corresponds to cross section of thehead portion 31 of the screws so that the openings 30 in the bar '29prevent turning of the screws when engaging all screws simultaneously.At first, the members 29, 6 and 3 are brought into correct position withrespect to each other, thereafter the screw 28 may be fed throughopening 30, the hole in the board 6, and thereafter through-the hole inthe-bottom portion 3 of the strong box so that a washer 32 and finally anut 33 may-be fitted over the screw bolt to safely hold the strong box.

FIG. 4 shows in an example the mounting of the strong box according tothe invention at a wall. A dowel 38 is fastened in the wall 11 andreceives a dowel screw 37 so that only the rectangular portion 39 and ashort threaded bolt extends from the wall. The bottom portion 3 of thestrong box may be put over the rectangular portions and finally a bar 29having rectangular openings 30 is fitted over the rectangular portions39 of the screw. The mounting will then be effected by means of washer32 and nut 33. The bar 29 improves the rigidity of the screw 37 duringthe screwing operation of nut 33, and finally'reinforces the bottomportion of the strong box. Of course, the rectangular portion 39 of thescrew 37 corresponds to the rectangular opening 30 of bar 29.

FIG. 5 shows in perspective elevation the bar 29, and one will realizehow the rectangular openings 30 are provided therein.

It is to be understood that the foregoing explanations referring to theaccompanying drawings are to be considered as preferred embodimentsonly, any persons skilled in the art being able to provide modificationsthereof when making use of the spirit of the invention as defined by theappendant claims.

Iclaim:

l. A strongbox comprising a substantially rectangular bottom-portion ofgreater length thanwidth and including a bottom panel and a sidewallabout the periphery of the bottom panel, a cover portion engageable overthe bottom portion including a sidewall about the periphery of the topportion arranged to closely embrace and fully confine the sidewall ofthe bottom portion, the top portion including a top panel parallel tothe bottom panel and an obliquely inclined panel extending downwardlyfrom the top panel andterminating at the cover sidewall, the bottom andcover portions defining a hollow cavity therebetween having a base areaadequate to receive documents of a predetermined size without folding,the cavity having a maximum height of one-half the width of the bottomportion, mounting means to attach the bottom portion to a base, saidmounting means accessible exclusively from the interior of the hollowcavity, and locking means including a combination dial mounted on theinclined panel and not extending above the plane of the top panelthereby permitting a fiat surfaced structure to closely overlie the toppanel to conceal and further obstruct entry into the box.

2. A document strongbox comprising:

a bottom portion provided with a fiat rectangular bottom panel and avertical one piece sidewall extending entirely about the periphery ofthe bottom panel and defining four sides;

a cover portion having a peripheral one piece sidewall defining foursides, the sidewall height not less than that of the bottom portionsidewall, and the cover portion sidewall closely embracing and fullyconfining the bottom portion sidewall;

the cover portion provided with a top panel and an obliquely inclinedpanel extending at a downward angle from the top panel and obliquelyterminating at one side;

a hinge joining the sidewalls of cover and bottom portions at the sideopposite said one side;

means for attaching the bottom portion to a base;

a keeper bar attached to the inner surface of the bottom portion on saidone side;

a lock affixed to the inner surface of the obliquely inclined panel andincluding a lock bolt aligned to move parallel to the obliquely inclinedpanel and to always remain oblique to said one side, the boltcooperating with the keeper bar to lock the strongbox; and

the obliquely inclined panel maintaining the lock bolt at an angleoblique to the keeper bar side so as to exert an outward force againstthe keeper bar side through the keeper when the cover portion is pryedto cause the cover and bottom portions to bind thereby increasing thesecurity of the box, the obliquely inclined panel supporting acombination dial on the outside thereof, the dial not extending abovethe plane of the top panel so a fiat structure may closely over lie thebox to conceal and further obstruct entry therein.

3. The combination according to claim 2 wherein said hinge extendscompletely along the side and adjacent the base on the outside of thebottom portion and contains a single unremovable hinge pin to furtherincrease the security of the box.

